Azonality

the occurrence of any natural phenomenon which has no causal relationship to the zonal characteristics of a given territory. Azonality may occur in systems of natural zones (climatic, soil, vegetation, terrain, and others), both in lowlands and in high mountain regions. Azonal natural phenomena are either completely or to a considerable degree a result of the internal forces of the earth: geological structure, morphology of the terrain, and so on. The effect of azonal factors is greatest in mountains. Azonality, together with zonality, determine the regional character of the terrain. A variant of azonality is intrazonality.